Safety coupling



March 4, 1941. J. PIPER 2,233,988

SAFETY COUPLING Filed July 3, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JOH/V P/PLQ 0 Inventor A iior ney March 4, 19-41. J, PIPER SAFETY COUPLING Filed July 5, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 In venior w R m W M 0 9 N H wwh a 2 7. %y 3 W Z 7. m db 2 m Patented Mar. 4, 1941 UNITED STAT i i ah SAFETY COUPLING John Piper, Uniontown, Pa., assignor of onefourth to Abe Cohen and one-fourth to Max Cohen, Uniontown, Pa.

Application July 3, 1940, Serial No. 343,851

Claims. (Cl. 213--'20) The present invention relates to new and useful curved and provided with a horizontally extending improvements in couplings for mine cars and slotted opening l3 having flanges l4 secured at similar vehicles in which the respective sections the edge portions thereof and projecting through of the coupling may be automatically secured in the opening is the coupling stem l5 having the 5 position for coupling the cars together without cylindrical coupling head H5 at the outer end necessitating a person entering between the cars, thereof for insertion into and engagement by the as well as providing means for releasing the coufemale coupling member I. pling mechanism alongside of the cars and the The inner end of the stem I5 is reduced as primary object of the present invention is to proshown at I? and is slidably mounted in the bore vide apivoted coupling stem carriedby one of the i8 of a socket member [9 which is formed with 10 cars to enable the free turning movement of the upwardly and downwardly extending trunnions adjacent cars as the same are rounding a curve 20 and 2i respectively, journalled in openings in the track and also to provide means for mainformed in the upper and lower plates l0 and l I, taining the coupling stem in the desired position respectively, as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings.

for coupling cars positioned on a curve in the The socket member I9 is formed with forward- 15 track. ly eirtending spaced parallel arms 22 between A still further object is to provide a device of which the stem i5 is freely positioned, the stem this character of simple and practical construcbeing provided with a coiled spring 23 for yieldtion, which is efficient and reliable in perably projecting the stem outwardly, the stem beformance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture ing provided with upwardly and downwardly 20 and maintain in operation and otherwise well extending pins 24 and 25, respectively, adapted adapted for the purposes for which the same is to abut the inner edge of the flanges M to limit intended. outward movement of the stem. Also as shown to Other objects and adavantages reside in the deadvantage in Figure 4 of the drawings, the inner 25 tails of construction and operation as more fully edges of the flanges M are curved to facilitate the 25 hereinafter described and claimed, reference beriding of the pins 24 and 25 along said flanges ing had to the accompanying drawings forming during the swinging movement of the stem. The part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like stem is normally maintained in a centrally disparts throughout, and in whichposed position in the slotted opening l3 by means Figure 1 is a top plan View of the adjacent ends of coiled springs 28 and 21 attached to the arms 30 of a pair of cars in position the same would 00- 22 and 23, respectively, one end of each of said cupy relative to each other when on a curved springs being anchored to an adjacent side of track, the housing 8.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the housing The lower end of the trunnion 2| is formed for the coupling stem, with a square-shaped extension 28 to which the 35 Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional View thererear end of a forwardly extending arm 29 is atthrough, and tached, the forward end of the arm having one Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view thereof. end of a link 30 pivotally connected thereto, the Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherelink extending laterally beyond one side of the in for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed housing 9 and to its outer end is attached a lever 4 a preferred embodiment of the i ti th 3| which is accessible from a position at the side numerals 5 and 6 designate a pair of mine cars of the car to enable horizontal pivotal manipulaof conventional construction, one end of the car tion of the stem without necessitatin the hand of 5 being provided with the female coupling memt e Wo a being placed between the cars. 5 her 1, of a type covered in my application Serial Accordingly, the stem may be swung into the No. 278,345, while the adjacent end of the car 6 desired position for coupling with the coupling is provided with the male part of the coupling member of an adjacent car when the'cars are on member designated at 8. a curved track.

The coupling member 8 includes a housing 9 It is believed the details of construction, adcomprising upper and lower plates Ill and I I, revantages and manner of use of the device will be 50 spectively, secured to the end of the car by means e y d fld from e foregoing out of bolts l2, a portion of the plate projecting outfurther detailed P fi wardly from said end of the car as shown in Fig- Having thus described the invention, what I ure 1 of the drawings. claim is- The outwardly projected end of the coupling 8 is A Vehicle pling compr ng a female cou- 55 pling member and a male coupling member, said male coupling member comprising a casing secured to the vehicle, a pivoted member in the casing, a stem having one end reciprocally mounted in the member and having its opposite end projecting outwardly of the casing, spring means yieldably maintaining the stem in a longitudinally extended position, stop means limiting longitudinal extension of said stem and manually operated means attached to the pivoted member'i'or swinging the outer end of the stem horizontally.

2. A vehicle coupling comprising a female coupling member and a male coupling member, said male coupling member comprising a casing secured to the vehicle, a pivoted member in the casing, a stem having one end reciprocally mounted in the member and having its opposite end projecting outwardly of the casing, spring means yieldably maintaining the stem in a longitudinally extended position, stop means limiting longitudinal extension of said stem and a manually operated lever at one side of the vehicle and operatively connected to the pivoted member for swinging the outer end of the stem horizontally.

3. -A vehicle coupling comprising a female coupling member and a male coupling member, said male coupling member comprising a casing secured to' the vehicle, said casing having a horizontal slotted opening therein, a stem having one end projecting outwardly through said opening, a socket having oppositely extending trunnions journalled in the casing, a bore in the socket slidably receiving the inner end of the stem,

spring means yieldably urging the stem outwardly, spring means yieldably maintaining the stem in a longitudinally extending position, stop means limiting longitudinal extension of said stem and manually operable means attached to the socket to swing the stem horizontally,

4. A vehicle'coupling comprising a female coupling member and a male coupling member, said male coupling member comprising a casing secured to the vehicle, said casing having a horizontal slotted opening therein, a stem having one end projecting outwardly through said opening, an arcuate flange in the casing adjacent the opening, a socket having oppositely extending trunnions journalled in the casing, a bore in the socket slidably receiving the inner end of the stem, spring means yieldably urging the stem' outwardly, a lateral pin on the stem engaging the flange to limit outward movement of the stem, spring means yieldably maintaining the stem in a longitudinally extending position and manually operable means attached to the socket to swing the stem horizontally,

5. A vehicle'coupling comprising a female coupling member and a male coupling member, said male coupling member comprising a casing secured to the vehicle, said casing having a horizontal slotted opening therein, a stem having one end projecting outwardly through said opening, an arcuate flange in the casing adjacent the opening, a sockethaving oppositely extending trunnions journalled in the casing, a bor in the socket sli-dably receiving the inner end of the stem, spring means yieldably urging the stem outwardly, a lateral pin on the stem engaging the flange to limit outward movement of the stem, spring means yieldably maintaining the stem in a longitudinally extending position, one of said trunnions projecting from the casing and a manually operable lever connected to the outer end of the trunnion for swinging the stem horizontally.

JOHN PIPER, 

